Scymira [Game Thread]

The Sharva delegation at House Osberg apologizes for their presumptiousness but requests permission to stay with House Osberg for a while and to attend the wedding as a symbol of friendship between the houses.
They also want to keep an eye on the proceedings but obviously don't mention that to Osberg.

The Festival of the Blaze attracted many people and many businesses in the Eastreach. Some good management allowed House Sol to use that opportunity to attract some of those permanently, increasing the House Population (+4)and Wealth (+6). The timing of the Festival and the fact that it is built for the common folks may have had a negative impact on the House reputation among the highest circles, but its popularity among the populace and the opportunity to create links with many others Houses helped House Sol status (-10 for reroll and +6 for event).

The whole Festival lasted a week with the official banquet in the middle. Vista Sol, head of House Sol, made a point to personally welcome and spent time with every representative of the visiting Houses. Accommodation were offered with care and every House with a symbol and prayer were offered to host a public ceremony with With pomp and circumstance for their offering. House Maa-Talia was installed in the main room of the banquet for all to see and the fireworks from Kraken society were added to the closing ceremony of the Blaze when fire was at his peak in the night before the last day. Every attending representative was thanked publicly in the closing speech and many personal gratitude was given by all the members of House Sol going around to make conversation and keep people enjoying themselves.

Talks were about hope for the future and opportunities to work together for commerce and protecting the Realm. Alot of attention was given to make sure everybody was enjoying themselves. By example, Duke Grammas's wife was rapidly taken aside by a young Sol noblewoman to try out dresses all day long and left with two of them as a gift.

When asked the reason for the Festival, the given answer was that they felt the people here needed some hope and something to look forward to and that it was the best way for House Sol to connect and present themselves to neighbours and allies. Of course, I was quickly obvious for anyone with politic savvy that the most Royal focused Houses were absent because of the Royal banquet. If asked about the timing, the reason explained was that the Royal Ascension time was the best time for the people to be able to travel and attends so they could go back home in time to prepare for the spring.

-Even in the face of an undead abomination, Captain Hunter's man were ready. They had brought giant harpoons for the balistas, tied to solid ropes, the same used when hunting whales to stop them from diving away and to make sure they wouldn't loose the carcass. And they had thunder cannons and thunder arrows aplenty... When the creature showed up, there was no way they would lose it. They surrounded it and immobilized it with the harpoons before firing a barrage of cannonballs and arrows on it...-High Lord Spaulding and High Lord Wendell didn't need the royal family's attention, even if it would have been a plus, since they had they're own agendas... Lord Spaulding went from guest to guest, trying to secure trades with other houses and promoting the Kraken society's services, while Lord Wendell goes from conversation to conversation to make small talks with the leaders of other houses. -High Lord Darby had a great time at house Sol's festival of the Blaze, so much that she pledged them that as long as the Kraken society and House Sol's friendship endured, the festival of the Blaze would profit from one the greatest Thunderworks show each and every year in the future.

Delios Sharva and his wife do not expect to be welcomed with open arms at the royal banquet, in fact they would not have been surprised to see their attendance denied after the High Lord publicly announced that Sharva would not be attending it.
They are pleasantly surprised when they not only find themselves invited to the banquet but also personally greeted by the king's second son. He expressed the house's gratitude for Delios defying his High Lord's will to serve the king.
Delios is not unaware of the fact that he is in a delicate position but finds himself unable to refuse when the prince offers him a task that he promises his house and father will be very grateful for when it is completed.
Bandit activity on merchants as well as royal caravans in the crownlands has increased drastically in the last months. He tasks Delios with taking care of this problem, preferably using the bandits to make an example for anyone planning something similar in the future.

During the course of the banquet, Lord Delios finds the representatives of House Zubech and strikes up a conversation with them. At some point during this conversation, he brings up the shipping taxes they have been raising recently, acting as if that was just a random thought, not the reason behind approaching them in the first place.
He is trying to discover whether anything specific has happened or is planned that caused them to start taking tolls.

---

The Sharva representatives at Sol's festival stay mostly in the background, observing the proceeding, being polite and reinforcing the loose relations to other attendants.
When the festical draws to a close, they thank House Sol for the invitation and promise friendship and cooperation between the houses in the future but do not name any specifics. They return to the Astrals to report back to the High Lord without much fanfare. They explicitly don't commit to the festival and the house as much as others, like the Kraken Society, do.

Sometime during the Royal Ascension, whispers in the dark ...

"Claudia, Maa-Talia have been an excellent servant of the Royal House ... for that I am grateful. But I understand, Maa-Talia is also attending the Festival of Blaze ... perhaps, you can use these new ties to get close to House Sol. They must be punished for this insult ... "

---

Back in the North Coast towards the end of the season after all ceremonies and festivals are complete:

" ... Tonia, I don't want to hear it right now. This was an order directly from the King! It was reckless of House Sol to stage a festival at the same time as the Royal Ascension without asking permission. They need to learn to be more careful with the Royal Family. You must use these friendships that you've forged to carry out the royal request," Claudia orders in frustration.

"The festival had nothing to do with insulting the Royal family. It was a great idea to provide support and spirit for those less fortunate and without the resources to attend a Gala as extravagant as the Royal Ascension. It took great leadership to pull off that festival, more than I can say of some other Leaders in Scymira. House Sol could be a great ally in the East for us. With no word from House Tamer in months, we need allies in the East!" Tonia's voice is full of urgency and self-belief.

"Houses need to accept the consequences of their actions."

"Yeah well, maybe it's time for the Royal House to accept some consequences for theirs ... " Tonia replies defiantly.

Claudia looks deadly serious at her niece, one of Maa-Talia's smartest and strongest members, and a personal favorite of Claudia's. After a long minute frozen like statues, Claudia takes a deep breath and begins to consider the possibility and implications of Tonia's suggestion ...

House Sol send its best diplomat to apologize to the royal family. He offers that House Sol meant no disrespect to the Royal House, they simply hoped to allow their people, after all the fear and hardship they endured with the precedent family watching over them, a way to enjoy the same sense of security and celebration that the citizen of the capital benefited with the Royal Banquet. He closed by offering House Sol's gift for the anniversary of the coronation, a live-sized portrait of the king painted by the best painter in the Eastreach.

After the Festival, Vista Sol thanks all the House you assisted or participated in the Festival of the Blaze and promesses to keep in touch to cultivate those great friendships.

House Revelos accepts Omaa's offer. (lose 1 d6, upgrade other die to be d10 and d8.

The council members of House Bodaway attending the Royal Ascension aren't put out in the least by not being recognized by the Royals. They are their mainly for the purpose of reinforcing their relationship and alliance with House Zubech. They return to the North Coast in good spirits with a new member to show the ropes.

Deputy Chenoa is quite taken in by the Festival that House Sol put together and brings back many tales of rubbing elbows with people of every station and how that reminds her of the way House Bodaway runs their herds with everyone from highest to lowest pitching in. She wonders if this approach might be a better one than a rigid monarchy that the realm currently employs.